


Your Secret Admirer

by Hershey_chan



Category: Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike!
Genre: Forced Feminization, Friends to Lovers, Hurt Takara, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Injury Recovery, Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-09-24 06:38:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9708605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hershey_chan/pseuds/Hershey_chan
Summary: Takara starts receiving love letters from a secret admirer, counting down the days until they meet.  He doesn't think much of it at first, despite Kiyomine's concern.  However, as the letters start getting more intense, Takara realizes too late that maybe he should have listened to Kiyomine for once.





	1. Prying Eyes

**Day 1**

  
It had all started a few weeks ago, on a Wednesday of all days. Takara had gently awoken to a feeling of comfort and warmth. Seeking to prolong his bliss, he burrowed further into the warmth, letting out a soft moan of contentment. He felt the warmth throw an arm around his waist and pull him even closer still. He smiled, burying his face into the broad chest in front of him, prepared to fall back into blissful slumber.

 

Seconds passed, and suddenly a connection was made in Takara's brain. Warmth doesn't usually have arms or a chest. He opened his eyes and looked up from the chest in front of him. There, his gaze was met by none other than Kiyomine.

 

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Kiyomine whispered into his ear before planting a kiss on his forehead. “I hope you're not too sore from last night.” He added with a wink.

 

Takara quickly scrambled away, falling off the bed and shouting gibberish as his brain processed what had just happened and what had happened last night. What had they done yesterday? They returned to the dorm after classes and gotten into another fight. Nothing unusual.

 

“Asshole Kiyomine! Stop trying to make things seem different than they are! We didn't do anything last night but fight!”

 

“Of course not. What did you think I meant?” Kiyomine asked with a smirk.

  
Takara's cheeks exploded into redness, and he sought to change the topic. “What time is it?”

 

Kiyomine took a second to look at the clock before replying. “9:00”

 

“WHAT?!?! We're supposed to be at school already! Why didn't you wake me up?” Takara shouted as he rushed about throwing clothes on and off in a frenzy.

 

“It's not like we've never skipped school before.”

 

“That's not the point! Come on! Get ready.” Takara ordered, throwing Kiyomine's uniform onto the bed and entering the bathroom to finish his own preparations.

 

* * *

  

By the time they arrived at school, they had already missed their first class. Takara was rushing, while Kiyomine followed behind him at a much more leisurely pace.

 

“Why are you moving so slow?”

 

“Why are you in such a hurry? We've already missed first period; no one will even expect us to show up at this point. Slow down and enjoy the weather.”

 

Takara slowed to a halt at his shoe locker. Kiyomine had a point. And the weather _was_ really nice. The temperature was pleasant and there was a brisk wind that added just the right amount of chill to the air. It was bright, but the bulk of the sun was hidden by thin clouds, so it wasn't blinding.

 

“Well, I guess we'll get in just as much trouble for being late as we would if we missed the whole day...” Takara allowed, his resolve to be a good student wavering.

 

“Exactly. Let's just change our shoes and spend the day on the roof.”

 

Takara bit his lip, opening his locker while he thought about it. However, what he saw made him freeze.  Inside, on top of his shoes was a small envelope topped with a red rose. Kiyomine peered around him to see inside as well.

  
“A love letter? I bet it's from a boy.”

  
Takara turned and glared at him with enough hatred that it would have knocked any other person into a state of instant and eternal depression. Kiyomine just smirked, proud of himself for getting under the smaller boy's skin.  Takara turned his attention back to the letter with dignified “hmph”. He pulled the letter out from under the rose, carefully breaking the seal without tearing it. Inside was a short note written in beautiful handwriting.

 

_Dearest Takara,_

_Many months now have passed since your beauty first graced my vision. From that moment on, I knew I would never forget you. I have been watching you from afar since then, hoping for the day that we might meet and that you would feel the same connection to me that I feel for you. Until that day, I will content myself with seeing your angelic face. I know that the rose cannot compare to your own beauty or the beauty that our love would share, but consider it a promise. I will deliver you a rose with every letter. On the day that you have 30 roses, we will meet.  
_

_Love,  
Your Secret Admirer_

Takara was blushing heavily. Despite the fact that the note was quite innocent, there seemed to be a very intimate connotation throughout. Clearly the individual was delusional, believing without a doubt that when the two met, Takara would feel the same love.

 

“I told you it would be a boy.” Kiyomine said, having read the note over the boy's shoulder.

 

Takara turned and shoved a finger in Kiyomine's chest, causing him to back into the lockers behind him.

 

“It's rude to read other people's letters” shove “It's rude to think that only boys could like me!” _shove_ “And it's RUDE to assume someone's gender!!!” SHOVE “There is nothing in this letter that says that it's a boy.”

 

Kiyomine swatted the other's hand away. “Stop kidding yourself. It's obviously a boy. What kind of girl would try to win over a guy by talking about how beautiful and angelic he was?”

 

Takara dropped his eyes, knowing that the other was right. “Well, it doesn't matter if it's a male or female, it's still a compliment to receive a love letter.”

 

Kiyomine scowled. “Aren't you a little worried? He says that he's been watching you, and he was a little too familiar, if you ask me.”

 

“Well, I didn't ask you. Besides, why should you care?”

 

As Takara glared up at Kiyomine, for a moment something passed in the taller boy's eyes that made Takara lose his anger.  Finally, Takara scoffed, “Whatever, let's just go to the roof and take a nap.”

 

The two changed their shoes, and Takara carefully slipped the love letter and rose into his bag, something which Kiyomine did not fail to notice.  However, what both teens failed to notice was the figure observing the exchange from the shadows.

 

* * *

 

The two boys slept the day away in each other’s arms, only waking when the sun had begun to set and the temperature dropped. Without a word, the two got to their feet and returned to their dorm room.

 

Once there, Takara took his bath first. When Kiyomine left to take a shower, Takara changed into his pajamas, something that could be considered a typical evening. There was a major difference in this evening, though. Tonight, Takara filled a small jar he had on hand with water and placed the single, red rose inside of it, placing the finished product on his desk. The love letter was deposited into an empty drawer in the desk.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Takara jumped. “Geez, don't sneak up on people! I'm just putting the flower in some water. It would be a shame to just throw it away, don't you think?”

 

Kiyomine just scowled and grabbed Takara's wrist, dragging him away from the desk and into bed.

 

“Wha-?” Takara started.

 

“Shut up and go to sleep, shortie.”

 

Takara recognized that something was bothering Kiyomine, so he didn't push it and fell asleep wondering who his secret admirer was.

 

* * *

  
  
**Day 2**

 

The next day was very much the same, but the morning argument was much more violent and the two got to school relatively on time. As such, when they got to the shoe lockers, there were several other people in the room.  Once again, Takara opened his locker to find a love letter and red rose on top of his shoes. He just stared at it for a moment, deciding what to do with it. It would be weird to pull it out and read it with all of these people around, so he decided to leave the letter for now and get it after school.  However, before he could change his shoes and close his locker, a passerby had caught a glimpse of the letter.

 

“Is that a love letter?” This question was followed by a mob of students swarming around Takara's locker to see the note. “Who's it from?”

 

Takara's face was on fire as he surveyed the crowd, looking for Kiyomine to come and rescue him. When he finally found Kiyomine's face (which wasn't really too difficult considering the teen towered over all of his classmates), Takara found that his roommate had a dark look on his face which was quickly masked with a smirk.

 

“Shortie, why don't you go ahead and tell them about the BOY that wrote you that love letter?”

 

Takara sputtered indignantly while an entirely different wave of fury ran through the rest of the crowd, and they began to mutter amongst themselves, completely forgetting that Takara could hear them.

 

“That's so unfair...”

 

“No one's allowed to try anything with Fujishima-kun except Hosaka...”

 

“We need to make this guy pay for breaking the rules...”

 

“Who was it, Fujishima-kun?”

 

Still blushing and now irritated at the crowd for discussing matters that should be up to him, Takara answered quickly, “I don't know.”

 

There was a group groan and vow to search for the offender of the unwritten rules surrounding Fujishima Takara. The crowd dispersed, hearing the bell warning of the approaching start to classes.

 

As Takara changed his shoes, Kiyomine came up behind him and asked, “What are you going to do about _that_?”

 

Of course it was obvious what he was talking about. “I'll leave it here for now and read it after school. I'll put this rose in water with the other one.”

 

Kiyomine frowned and smacked him gently on the back of his head. “Baka.”

 

“Hey! What was that for?!?!”

 

The two ran to class arguing happily with one another.

 

Once again it escaped everyone's attention that there was a figure observing the exchange from the sidelines, this time with a pronounced frown on his face.

 

* * *

 

Satou Hideo watched the exchange from the shadows, enjoying the rosy blush that _his_ letter had placed on Takara's delicate features. He knew that Takara needed him just as much as he needed Takara. Takara was a gentle soul who needed protection. Sure the boy had been in several fights and had won, but that type of strength was useless when one had no awareness of dangerous people and situations. Not to mention, emotionally, Takara was crippled, having lost almost all of his loved ones. He needed someone who would shower him with affection and never, EVER leave his side. So needy was Takara that he clings to one Hosaka Kiyomine, the devil that walks among men.

 

Hideo hardly ever had the opportunity to see Takara without Kiyomine by his side, someone who was obviously seeking to rob the angel of his wings. Even during the school breaks when Hideo had watched over Takara at his house (Takara's house that is),  Kiyomine had been there. Eventually, Takara became ill because of “stress,” though Hideo knew that it was really Kiyomine's fault.

 

Takara was too kind and angelic to understand that some people are innately evil, but Hideo could see the evil inside of Hosaka Kiyomine. As if to prove Hideo correct, Kiyomine chose that moment to slap the back of Takara's head for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

 

Hideo needed to rescue Takara from that evil man, make him see the light. Takara didn't understand. Hideo did. Takara wasn't safe. Hideo could protect him. Takara needed to be saved. Hideo would save him, no matter what it took.

 

_Just wait my angel. 28 more days until we meet. Then we shall be together for all eternity._

 

* * *

 

 

**Day 3**

 

Takara felt awful that morning. The previous evening, he and Kiyomine had gotten into a rather vicious argument over the love letter, mainly because Takara wouldn't let him read it. It was a personal note that was not meant to be shared with others. However, Kiyomine felt it to be his right to read the letter and felt that Takara was taking the entire matter too lightly. Naturally, Takara disagreed (after all, the second letter had been very much like the first, full of innocent and kind words) and a very violent fight had occurred, only being broken up when Reiichi had threatened them with the task of cleaning the dorm bathrooms for a month. For the first time in almost a year, the two boys slept alone.

 

Well, to be more precise, they spent the night in different beds. Neither actually got much sleep, which did not improve their moods at all.

 

So, that morning as the two approached the school, all of the other students, sensing a dark aura, quickly moved out of their way.

 

Takara naturally received another letter and another rose that morning. He looked over to see Kiyomine's eyes burning with _something_ at the sight of the letter. Feeling rather vengeful, Takara pulled the rose out of his locker giving it a good sniff and holding it close to his chest.

 

Just for good measure, he added loudly, “Well, it sure is nice to receive the affection of someone who is clearly very caring. Not everyone has an ulterior motive, unlike _someone_ I know. _Some people_ actually have manners. SOME PEOPLE – ”

 

BANG!

 

Kiyomine's fist smashed into the door of the locker next to Takara's head, causing the metal to collapse in on itself. Without a word, Kiyomine reached into the locker behind the smaller boy and pulled out the letter. He silently opened it, and, making sure to keep it out of arms reach of the smaller boy, he read the letter.

 

Takara knew that he was on dangerous ground. His fate depended on how Kiyomine reacted to reading the letter, and based on Kiyomine's actions thus far, Takara started wishing that the rest of the students hadn't fled at some point. He would at least like there to be one witness when he got mercilessly murdered.

 

As he saw a deeper frown grow on Kiyomine's face, he cringed back and shut his eyes.

 

A quiet “tsk” came from Kiyomine's mouth, and as Takara hesitantly opened his eyes in confusion, the love letter was shoved in his face. It simply said:

 

_My Angel,_

_I know that these letters are not safe from prying eyes, so for now I will simply say that I love you and cannot wait for our meeting._

_Love,_

_Your Secret Admirer_

“Eh? How did he know you were reading them?” Takara asked, definitely a little confused, but mostly relieved that there was nothing too bad in the letter to anger Kiyomine.

 

“Well, he did say that he's _always_ watching you, but it's not a big deal, right?” The reply came with a sarcastic sneer.

 

Suddenly Takara wasn't so sure of himself, but he brushed it off. After all, it's not like he and Kiyomine were quiet about their arguments, so half of the student body probably knew that anyway.

 

With that somewhat comforting thought, he ran to catch up with Kiyomine and head to class.


	2. I Love You

**Day 27**

 

The next few weeks blurred together for Takara. With all of the love letters now only coming with the phrase “I love you” and a rose, they soon drifted to the back of his mind, becoming just part of an average day. They were even delivered during non-school days, something which had surprised Takara when he opened his dorm door to find the rose and letter taped to the outside of it.

 

Though Kiyomine still seemed tense when Takara got the letters, and even more so when he placed the roses in his makeshift vase, the tall boy had calmed down considerably now that the notes were so mild. The relationship of the two was very much back to normal.

 

At the moment the two were parting ways because Kiyomine was asked to stay after class and run errands for their last period teacher as a punishment for sleeping through the lesson.

 

“So I guess we're not going to the arcade tonight since you had to go and get in trouble.” Takara pouted. They had barely left the school in weeks, and he was beginning to go stir crazy.

 

“Hey, I always sleep. It's not my fault sensei was in a bad mood today. Anyway, I'll finish this quickly, and we can go after. So just go back to the room and wait for me, okay Shortie?”

 

“Fine, but if it takes more than an hour I'm punishing you.”

 

Kiyomine scoffed. “What could you possibly do to me?”

 

Takara smiled, feeling smug. “I've become very close with Ayako-san.  We chat all the time.”

 

Kiyomine's eyes narrowed. “Shortie...” He said slowly and threateningly.

 

Takara rushed out of the room before Kiyomine could do anything to him, smiling with satisfaction since he finally had something over his roommate.

 

Takara walked down the now empty halls, thinking to himself that the school was actually a little creepy after hours. Like the way his steps echoed, it almost sounded like there was someone walking behind him or something...

 

Takara threw a quick glance over his shoulder, finding the hallway to be completely empty, save what looked like an envelope on the floor.

 

“Eh? That wasn't there before, was it?”

 

He bent down to pick it up in case it was something important. As he picked it up, he was rather surprised to find his own name written on the front. He looked around the hallway, still finding it to be completely empty except for himself. Shrugging, he opened the letter, finding another love letter.

 

_My beautiful Takara,_

_I'm sorry for contacting you in such an unorthodox manner, but as I mentioned before, these letters are not safe from prying eyes, and I needed to tell you something that is for you alone. Unfortunately, this is the first time that you've been alone since I started giving you the simple love letters. I needed to inform you of the fact that you are in danger. Hosaka Kiyomine is not who you think he is. He is a demon who takes advantage of your kind and trusting heart to manipulate you. I cannot protect you from him yet, no matter how much I want to. Every day I see him treat you like garbage and abuse you, doing things like hitting you, damaging your perfect body. It takes all of my willpower not to tear him to shreds and steal you away from him. I would never treat you like that. I would cherish and love every single part of you, make you feel bliss that you cannot even imagine. I understand your needs so much more than he does. I've watched you for so long and so often. I know the faces you make when you think no one can see you. I have seen you at your best and your worst, though in comparison to the rest of us commoners even your worst seems like perfection. I know that I am perfect for you, and I can only hope that you realize before it's too late that staying with Hosaka Kiyomine will only result in complete emotional and physical destruction. But don't be afraid. I will save you on the 30 th day._

_Love,_

_Your Secret Admirer_

 

Takara's heart was racing and his hands were trembling. Kiyomine was right (again). There was a definite stalker vibe throughout the letter and a worrisome amount of passion. For the first time, Takara truly felt like his secret admirer might not be just an innocent crush. He could actually be someone troublesome.

 

In truth, Takara wasn't too worried. He was strong and could easily defeat anyone who threatened him. Regardless, it was still disconcerting to realize that someone has been following him so constantly. Takara no longer felt comfortable in the hallways which he had thought were empty; now he wasn't quite sure. He briefly considered returning to the classroom and waiting for Kiyomine, but he wasn't ready to admit that he was wrong yet, so instead he just hurried back to the dorms.

 

* * *

 

Satou Hideo was not pleased with the progression of events. Though it seemed like his angel wasn't in immediate danger from Kiyomine, it was only a matter of time before Kiyomine exploded and did something irreversible. Unfortunately, Takara seemed to be getting even closer to the demon, instead of distancing himself from the danger that he was so oblivious to. Something had to be done.

 

It was too soon for Hideo to intervene directly. Not everything was ready yet. So instead he had to resort to delivering a warning letter to Takara as soon as he was alone.

 

Over three weeks! It had taken that long to find the opportunity to deliver his letter. He watched Takara read the letter from the window of an empty classroom on the hallway. He could see fear growing in the beautiful boy's eyes as they swept across the paper. The reaction satisfied Hideo. _He finally understands that Kiyomine is a threat._

 

Knowing that Takara would be more cautious around Kiyomine for the next five days, Hideo let Takara return to the dorms unaccompanied. He himself returned to the small, isolated house that he lived in alone, having moved in after his parents died, leaving him with a hefty inheritance that did little to appease his loneliness. But Takara would relieve the loneliness.

 

_Three more days._

 

He dropped his bag down in his bedroom, which was completely bare besides a small dresser and a futon. He passed the kitchen and living room, both equally bare, and headed to the room at the back of the house. The master bedroom. Takara's room. _Their room_.

 

Hideo silently brought a ring of keys from his pocket, opening the series of locks that had been installed on the outside of the door. For Takara's protection of course. He let the door swing open and reached inside to flick on the light, revealing what could be best described as a shrine to Takara. Every inch of exposed wall was covered with photographs of Takara.  The only furniture in the room was a massive wardrobe filled with outfits for Takara and a large bed against the middle of the far wall. There were four sets of handcuffs attached to the metal frame of the bed, two at the top for Takara's hands and two at the bottom for Takara's feet. Hideo hoped that they would not be necessary, but Kiyomine had been poisoning Takara's mind for a long time now, so the boy might resist his aide at first.

 

“Hello, my sweet.” Hideo addressed the largest photograph, one of Takara smiling with the sun behind him providing a somewhat ethereal glow. “Everything is almost ready. Three more days and we can be together.”

 

He planted a kiss on the photograph before leaving the room to go and buy some of the last few supplies.

 

* * *

 

Takara was laying on his bed, sighing up a storm. He still hadn't decided what to do with the new information he had gained. The only thing he was sure of was that he wouldn't tell Kiyomine. That boy's ego was big enough. But at the same time, he felt like he should tell him, if only because his secret admirer seemed to have a grudge against Kiyomine. Takara sighed again, burying his face in his pillow.

 

At that moment, Kiyomine entered the room, noticed Takara's mood and position, and assumed that he was pouting because they wouldn't have as much time to play. He put down his things and was about to change out of his uniform and into casual clothes when he realized that the smaller boy was still wearing his own uniform.

 

“Hey, if you want to go hang out, you should change into casual clothes.” He was ignored. “OI! There's no use pouting. If you're mad that I made you miss some having fun, then hurry up and change!” This time he was answered by muttering. “What?”

 

Takara lifted his head, and quietly repeated, “I don't feel like going to the arcade anymore.”

 

“Okaaay...” Kiyomine said slowly, confused. “Then we can go to the movies instead. Or just find some guys to fight with or something. I'll even pay for you since it's partly my fault that we're late.”

 

Takara just shook his head and sighed again. Truth be told, he would love some time to just hang out and de-stress, but he would spend the whole evening thinking they were being followed, which would just make him even more stressed out.

 

Now Kiyomine was sure something was wrong. Takara usually jumped on anything that was free, especially if it meant leaving the school. He approached the boy, poking him in between the shoulder blades. “What's wrong?”

 

Takara rolled over to look at the tall boy, then turned his head away with a forlorn look, mumbling “Nothing.”

 

Kiyomine's eye twitched in annoyance at the blatant lie. Well, if Takara wasn't going to tell him what was wrong, Kiyomine was going to force it out of him and make him stop pouting.

 

“Tell me the truth or else.” Kiyomine threatened.

 

“Or else what?” Takara challenged.

 

Kiyomine smirked before pouncing on top of the boy and beginning to tickle him mercilessly.  Instantly, Takara starting squirming and giggling despite his desperate attempts to keep his sombre attitude.

 

“Stop!” - giggle - “Get off me!”

 

When his pleas went unanswered, Takara tried fighting the boy off as well, but his punches were weak and ill-placed and Kiyomine would not back down. Finally, Takara's attempts grew even weaker and the only sounds coming from his mouth were airy bouts of laughter and pants; he seemed ready to suffocate when Kiyomine finally decided to give him a small break to catch his breath.  Takara gratefully gulped down air, chest rising violently up and down. He could feel his face burning and could only imagine how red his face was right then. He looked up at Kiyomine who was also panting lightly with a faint blush across his cheeks from the effort that he had put into keeping Takara from escaping.

 

The two boys stared at each other, Takara from the bed, and Kiyomine from above the other. Something flickered in the depths of Kiyomine's eyes, and he slowly started lowering his face. Takara, transfixed by his roommate’s eyes, was paralyzed. He held his breath as Kiyomine's face moved even lower. He could now feel Kiyomine's breath across his mouth and, finally remembering that he needed to breathe, he took a shallow gasp of the shared air between them. Kiyomine stopped moving, his eyes burning into Takara's as though searching for something. All Takara could do was stare back with wide and slightly confused eyes. At that moment, it seemed that a decision was made because Kiyomine's eyes grew determined and ever so gently, he pressed his lips against Takara's.

 

Takara froze. What the hell was going on?! One minute he had been moping, the next Kiyomine was kissing him! His shock kept him from responding in any way, and it seemed that Kiyomine was aware of his lack of response because the larger boy slowly pulled away to look into Takara's face.

 

Kiyomine looked like he wanted some kind of answer, but it was all Takara could do to stutter out “Uh... um... I... you... so... huh?” as his face turned redder than ever before.

 

Before Takara could sort out his thoughts, Kiyomine kissed him again, this time harder and more demanding. It was at that moment that Takara realized something. This was different from those times that Kiyomine had been “tasting” something that Takara had just eaten. There was no excuse this time, no taunts. Only desire and - was it possible? - love. Takara realized that the kiss felt good. Really good. It felt right, like the last piece of a puzzle finally being fit into its place. Ever so hesitantly, Takara moved his own lips in response.

 

The response was obviously what Kiyomine had been looking for as the boy suddenly shifted his position so that he was now completely pressed against Takara, chest to chest. He laced his legs through the smaller boys, trying to get as close as possible. He also sought to deepen the kiss, dragging the tip of his tongue across the seam of Takara's lips, asking for permission to enter. Takara, feeling exhilarated by the sudden contact, opened his mouth.

 

The kiss was sloppy to say the least, teeth accidentally bumping and saliva beginning to dribble down Takara's chin, but it was amazing regardless. Takara finally realized why people so often depicted fireworks when people kissed. He felt every instinct he had jumping into hyperdrive. His hands found their way into Kiyomine's hair, pulling the boy's head even closer still. At the same time, Kiyomine's hands began roaming down Takara's sides lower and lower until he found the hem of the boy's shirt. He pushed his hands underneath, finally getting to touch some of the hot skin that was underneath.

 

When one of Kiyomine's large hands brushed across Takara's nipple, the boy arched up and broke the kiss to let out a soft, gasped moan. The sound sent a rush of blood to Kiyomine's groin. He wanted to hear more, so he began kissing and nipping at the small teen's pale throat, while his hands were now completely focusing on the two now erect nubs on Takara's chest. One of Takara's hands remained in Kiyomine's hair, but the other he brought up to his mouth, trying to prevent anymore sounds from escaping. However, he was unable to stop a load moan from escaping when Kiyomine shifted his weight slightly, pushing the leg he had in between Takara's legs against the boy's hard crotch. Kiyomine brought their mouths together again in a needy kiss.

 

At that moment, the door opened.

 

“It's time for lights ou-” Okuno stopped in his tracks when he saw what the two were doing. Reiichi, who was behind him, wolf whistled.

 

The two boys parted like they had been burned, but there was no way to excuse what they were doing. Both boys' lips were slightly swollen from the hard kisses, there were already hickies forming on Takara's neck, Takara's shirt hung open ( _when did Kiyomine unbutton my shirt?_ Takara wondered), and both boys had visible erections. Takara once again flushed and began stumbling over his words trying to convince them that nothing had happened. Kiyomine chose to just sit back and smile like he had just gotten a treat.

 

“Well, it looks like you two have _things_ to finish,” Reiichi said brightly, herding Okuno out of the room, “just do them with the lights out!” He flicked the light off and slammed the door closed behind them.

 

The two boys sat silently in the dark for a long period of time, one of them completely comfortable, the other completely embarrassed. It was Takara who broke the silence.

 

“We should change into our sleep clothes.” With that said, Takara climbed off his bed and began stumbling around in the dark trying to find their clothes.

 

Takara swore after a particularly nasty bump into some piece of virtually invisible furniture, causing Kiyomine to chuckle and pull out his cell phone to use as a flashlight.

 

“Thanks” Takara said quietly.

 

With the new source of light, Takara was able to find his pajamas quickly. He was about to start changing when he suddenly felt embarrassed by the stare that he could feel practically burning into him.

 

“You can put the light away now.” He said without turning towards his roommate.

 

“I'm worried you might hurt yourself again.” It was made clear by his tone that no argument would make him turn out that light, so Takara slowly began stripping and then placing his pajamas on, not realizing that he was putting on more of a show this way than if he had changed at a regular speed.

 

When Takara finally turned around, finished changing, he found that Kiyomine was now only wearing boxers and was still staring at him with hunger in those dark eyes. That gaze sent heat flowing through Takara's body, though most of it gathered in his lower half.

 

He was about to ask Kiyomine to go sleep in his own bed, but at that moment the taller boy simply rolled onto his back and pulled up the covers, waiting for Takara to climb in before he would put them down. With a sigh, Takara climbed into his bed. There was really no sense in arguing.

 

Takara scooted as far away from Kiyomine as possible. Or he did until he began toppling off. Then Kiyomine pulled him back onto the bed and into his arms.

 

“Why are you so embarrassed? We sleep together all the time.” Kiyomine said.

 

“It's different now.” Takara said blushing.

 

“Why? Because we fooled around?”

 

Takara felt a little hurt by his choice of words. “Is that all it was? Fooling around?”

 

“Baka, of course not.” Kiyomine replied, lightly whacking the back of Takara's head.

 

Kiyomine didn't seem to want to talk anymore, so the two fell into silence. After what seemed like an eternity, Takara finally spoke quietly.

 

“Why did you k... why did you do it?” He couldn't quite bring himself to say that they had kissed just yet.

 

When he didn't immediately receive a reply, Takara assumed that Kiyomine had fallen asleep and decided that he should just give up and go to sleep as well. Which is why he was startled when Kiyomine did reply.

 

“Because I love you, shortie.”

 

Kiyomine's tone was completely serious, and Takara gasped with shock at the straightforward answer. He blushed again, momentarily wondering if he was going to be stuck with a permanent blush on his face because he's been blushing so much lately. He didn't really know how to respond, so he just closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, wondering what it would be like to spend the rest of his life with Kiyomine.

 

They would probably live in Takara's house because really, it was already home for both of them. Takara would be a freelance photographer and Kiyomine would be a boxer, and they'd probably have more money than they knew what to do with thanks to Kiyomine's astonishing skills with stock trading.  He imagined that their relationship dynamic would be much the same as it was now, bickering, sleeping together, playing with Ichi, and now maybe they would kiss and “fool around” as Kiyomine so eloquently put it. After all of that they would fall asleep in each other's arms every night.  Even though they would have the same basic routine most days, Takara knew that it would never be boring. And he knew that if he lived that way for the rest of his life he would feel safe, happy, and even loved. In fact, even if they hadn't kissed, Takara knew deep down that they would have lived together like that anyway. Even deeper down, he also realized that he had never, and would never, feel as strongly for anyone else as he did for Kiyomine. Takara had also really, _really_ enjoyed that kiss and wanted to do more, to feel more, and he wanted to do it with Kiyomine.

 

So, as Takara was about to drift completely to sleep, he quietly mumbled. “I think I love you too.”

 

Before sinking into slumber, he heard Kiyomine chuckle warmly and respond “Took you long enough to realize.”


	3. Sleeping Beauty

**Day 28**

 

Takara had gently awoken to a feeling of comfort and warmth. Seeking to prolong his bliss, he burrowed further into the warmth, letting out a soft moan of contentment. He felt the warmth throw an arm around his waist and pull him even closer still. He smiled, burying his face into the broad chest in front of him, prepared to fall back into blissful slumber.

 

Seconds passed, and suddenly a connection was made in Takara's brain. Warmth doesn't usually have arms or a chest. He opened his eyes and looked up from the chest in front of him. There, his gaze was met by none other than Kiyomine.

 

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Kiyomine whispered into his ear before planting a kiss on his forehead.

 

Major deja vu aside, this morning was different from every other morning. This morning, although Takara still felt embarrassed by the gesture, he didn't feel the need to punish Kiyomine for it. He just climbed out of bed and went to get ready without a word or a glance backwards. He didn't think he could handle the weirdness of their new relationship this early in the morning. Used to Kiyomine not getting out of bed until he went into the bathroom, Takara didn't think much about Kiyomine just lying in bed after he got up. However, when he returned from the bathroom to find Kiyomine in the same position, Takara was sure he burst a blood vessel in frustration.

 

“Why are you still in bed?!?!!?! We're going to be late!!!”

 

“I'm not getting up until you kiss me good morning.” Kiyomine replied with a smile.

 

“What?!??! I'm not doing that. I'll just go to school without you.” He picked up his bag and began walking to the door, thinking that Kiyomine would get up when he saw how serious Takara was about leaving him. Kiyomine still hadn't gotten up by the time Takara had his hand on the doorknob.

 

Takara sighed in frustration and marched back over to the bead and kissed Kiyomine briefly on the cheek. “There! Now get up.”

 

“Tsk tsk. That's not how you kiss your boyfriend good morning. You do it like this.”

 

Kiyomine pulled Takara onto the bed, rolling them over so that they were in the same position they had been last night. Once again, Kiyomine kissed Takara squarely on the lips before pushing his tongue into the hot cavern waiting behind them. This kiss was slow and sweet, and it made Takara quiver with want.  Only the need for air parted the two, and the separation gave Takara the time he needed to regain his senses.

 

“I never said that I would be your boyfriend. Get up now!” Takara huffed, angry that he had been distracted so easily.

 

“Shortie...” Takara ignored him. “Takara.” That got his attention. Kiyomine almost never called him by name like that.

 

“What?” Takara demanded.

 

“Will you be my boyfriend?”

 

“Huh?” Takara replied, ever so intelligently.

 

“You were mad because I just assumed you would agree to be my boyfriend. So I'm asking you instead. Will you be my boyfriend?”

 

Takara blushed _again_. “Well... I guess... It just seems... weird... I feel like it doesn't really fit what we are, you know?”

 

Kiyomine tapped his chin in thought for a moment before a lightbulb went on in his head. “Then, will you be my wife?”

 

Kiyomine's answer was a smack in the face with a pillow. Smirking, Kiyomine got up to get ready.

 

* * *

 

The walk to school was silent, both boys lost in their own thoughts.

 

“Kiyomine?” Takara spoke suddenly after they had almost reached their destination. The taller teen looked at him to show that he was listening. “I was just wondering... What are we going to tell everyone? I mean, I guess a lot of them already thought that we had something going on for some reason, but...”

 

Kiyomine thought for a moment before reaching out and grasping Takara's hand. “If we hold hands as we walk in, and as we walk to class, it should be enough for them to starting asking questions and spreading rumors. Then we can just sit back and let gossip take care of the rest.”

 

Takara was inclined to pull his hand away, but what Kiyomine had said made a lot of sense, so insteadTakara laced their fingers together and walked forward into the crowd of people in the locker room. When Kiyomine leaned down and planted an unexpected kiss on Takara's lips just for show, Takara didn't even punch him... hard...

 

* * *

 

To say that Hideo was angry would be the biggest understatement of the decade. He was positively insane with rage. How could this have happened? He had warned Takara about that beast, yet here they were, holding hands and _kissing_?!?!?!?! The only possible answer was that that monster had brainwashed Takara.

 

This changed everything. He had been prepared to wait until the day after tomorrow to meet with Takara, but it was obvious that the sooner he rescued Takara, the better. He had to save him before it was too late. With that thought in mind, he quickly wrote another note.. They would meet during lunch, and then Hideo's plan would be set into motion.

 

* * *

 

When Takara saw the 28th note in his locker, dread washed through him like ice in his veins. He had completely forgotten about the worrisome note that he had received last night. Now he realized that Kiyomine had effectively made him forget all about it, and he still hadn't figured out how to deal with it. He felt a brief concern for Kiyomine's safety because his secret admirer already disliked Kiyomine, and now that he and Takara were somewhat of an item he would have more of a reason to hate him. The concern was only brief, though, because Kiyomine was just as good of a fighter as he was (maybe better, Takara begrudgingly admitted) and could take care of himself as well.

 

Takara began to feel quite a bit calmer, and definitely had to look calmer since Kiyomine was watching him with concern as they rejoined hands to walk to first period. Takara realized that the only thing he really had to worry about was letting this secret admirer down easy so that he wasn't completely crushed or dangerously angry.

 

“Excuse me, Fujishima-kun?” Takara and Kiyomine both looked at the boy that had approached them. “Some guy asked me to give this to you.”

 

The boy held out a letter which Takara quickly took and opened, recognizing it as one of the love letters. He and Kiyomine both read the note as the boy headed off to his own class.

 

_My sweet dove,_

_I just couldn't wait to meet you any longer. Please meet me during lunch underneath the sakura tree by the main gate. Come alone. I'm a little shy and believe that our meeting would be better if it were to take place in private._

_Love,_

_Your secret admirer_

Kiyomine's frown returned full force, and he immediately stated “I'm coming with you.”

 

Takara shook his head. “I'm going alone, and I'm going to let him down easy. I feel like the only way I'll be able to make him understand that I really mean it is if he doesn't think that someone else could be persuading me to say it...”

 

Kiyomine looked at him with suspicion. “Something happened.”

 

“Nothing happened!” It wasn't technically a lie.

 

Kiyomine was still dissatisfied, but Takara kissed him on the cheek to appease him. Kiyomine didn't say anything else about it.

 

* * *

 

It seemed like no time had passed at all when Takara found himself walking towards the main gate of the school to meet with his “secret admirer.” When he got there he didn't see anyone else, so he assumed that he was early and his admirer wasn't there yet. Or he was there and was just making sure he really came alone.

 

The latter seemed to be more likely as a teen who looked to be about his own age stepped from behind another tree as soon as Takara stopped moving. Takara was suddenly nervous again.

 

“Um... are you...?” Takara mumbled awkwardly.

 

“Your secret admirer?” The boy asked with a “charming” smile. Something about him seemed off to Takara. “Satou Hideo at your service, my beautiful angel.” He finished with a deep bow.

 

Takara's face was burning. It was so much more embarrassing to hear those names said out loud. He observed the teen as he rose from his bow. He looked so... normal. Takara felt a little silly for expecting him to look like a thug or something. He knew that most dangerous people actually looked like everybody else. He had black hair and dark eyes and was of average height. He wasn't nearly as handsome as Kiyomine or Reiichi, but he certainly wasn't ugly either.

 

Hideo smirked, obviously pleased by the attention he was receiving. “So? Will you grant me the opportunity to make you the happiest person alive?”

 

Here it was, the moment of truth. Takara had to walk the fine line between false hope and complete destruction.

 

“A-actually, I came here today to tell you that I'm actually... involved with someone else.” The smile dropped off of Hideo's face. “It's not that I didn't appreciate your feelings or anything.” He added in a rush. “It's just that I don't even really know you and, um, it's weird I guess since you kind of know all about me, and...”

 

Hideo suddenly smiled again. “I think I understand. The theatricality of my notes probably made you think that I was weird or something, right? I apologize. It's just that since my parents died, I've been alone, so I spend most of my time reading, and I've read so many romance books that I guess I got kind of carried away. I've been kind of lonely, so I thought that the more serious I seemed, the more likely you would be to accept me.” Hideo knew that the sob story would help to draw Takara in. He had to gain his trust. To finish the deal, he made sure to make his eyes tear up a bit.

 

Takara's face fell into one of empathy, all suspicions gone. _Got him_ , Hideo thought triumphantly.

 

“Can I ask you something?”

 

Hideo looked up expectantly.

 

“Why did you want me so badly?”

 

“Because you were so kind to everyone. Plus, I knew that you had also lost most of your family, so I thought that we could understand each other and help each other.”

 

“Well, I appreciate your feelings, and I promise you, that you'll find the perfect person someday, just like I did. Until then, don't give up hope, and try to be a little less theatrical in the notes.” Takara smiled at him warmly.

 

Hideo returned the smile, though the glint in his eyes returned Takara's instinctive fear.

 

“Um, I have to go, but good luck.” He turned, and quickly began walking away. He tried to ignore the footsteps that he could hear behind him.  After all, they were both headed back to the same building and this was the quickest route.

 

Takara could do little to convince himself that nothing was wrong when an arm reached around his waist, holding him in place as a moist cloth was pressed firmly against his lower face. He began to struggle as a sickly sweet smell invaded his senses, but he could already feel his head clouding and his body weakening.

 

“You'll be safe soon” was the last thing he heard before he drifted into darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

Kiyomine was waiting impatiently. Shortie had promised that he wouldn't take any longer than ten minutes to deal with the creep. It had been fifteen, and he refused to wait any longer to find out what happened. As he left his post to walk towards the main gate, he saw a figure running towards him from that very direction. As it got closer, he recognized the figure to be Akari. She stopped in front of him, panting hard.

 

“Takara... He's in... trouble!”

 

Kiyomine felt like his stomach had dropped out of his body, and he began to tremble with rage.

 

“Get your breath, then you can tell me and Ayako-san what happened.” Kiyomine told her while pulling out his cell phone to call his sister at the police department.

 

Ayako was there in a matter of minutes; Kiyomine never called without a good reason, and it was clear from his hard tone that something very bad had happened.

 

“What's wrong?” She asked her brother.

 

“Something bad had happened to Takara. This one saw something.”

 

Ayako's attention turned to Akari. She immediately jumped into her story at break-neck speed.

 

“I knew that Takara-chan had been getting letters from a secret admirer because it's been a huge scandal around school, and so I thought I would follow him around to get some photos. Then I was really lucky because I got a picture of Hosaka-san and Takara-chan kissing!”

 

Here, her mouth spread into an impish smile and Ayako's eyes swiftly turned back to Kiyomine who just shrugged, obviously more concerned about the rest of the story.

 

“Anyway! So then I saw Takara-chan get the letter asking for him to meet his secret admirer, so of course I followed. I was getting some great shots of him rejecting the guy, but then as Takara-chan was leaving, the guy came up behind him and knocked him out with chloroform! I got some pictures of that too... You know, for evidence!... Well, I tried to follow him, but he just slung Takara over his shoulder and ran! He got into a car and drove off, but I got pictures of that too, and I made sure to get some close-ups of the license plate.”

 

At the moment, Akari's face was an odd mix of terrified, guilty, and proud that she had gotten such useful pictures.

 

Ayako, who had been listening attentively the entire time, finally spoke. “You two are coming with me right now to get those photos developed. Then my team will get to work on identification of the car, and you two will come back here and ask everyone until you find the identity of the boy. If everything goes well, we can have Takara back before that end of the day.”

 

“ _And before anything bad happens to him_ ” was left unsaid, but it was felt throughout the group as they rushed to do what Ayako had ordered.


	4. Broken Bride

Takara woke up feeling groggy. His head was pounding, and he felt weak. The light shining through his eyelids made him cringe and try to shut them tighter. He groaned.

 

“Shh, my love.”

 

Takara's eyes shot open at the foreign voice and the touch of a warm, moist hand against his face. Seeing an unfamiliar face in front of him, he tried scrambling up the wall behind the bed he was lying on, only to find that he could barely move because he was handcuffed to the bed.

 

“I'm sorry I startled you,” said the person in the room with him, who Takara finally recognized as his secret admirer. “I'm also sorry for having to restrain you, but your mind had been taken over by the demon, and I knew that you would resist me at first.”

 

Takara's brain was still moving too slowly, but it was getting easier to focus on the figure over him. After he finally registered what had just been said and the situation that he was in, Takara finally spoke, his voice rough.

 

“This is crazy. Kiyomine isn't a demon. He's just a normal person. I'm still in control of my own thoughts. Just because I'm in love with him, doesn't mean he forced me.” Takara was still hoping that he could reason with the teen in front of him.

 

“He wants you to believe that your thoughts are your own, but it's so obvious that he's just brainwashed you.” Hideo said fiercely, hoping to reach the “real” Takara.

 

“No he hasn't!” Takara was getting really frustrated with his position, and was currently tugging at his restraints. “And even if I hadn't fallen in love with him, I still wouldn't go out with you. Trust me, you have given me plenty of reasons to hate you in the short time that I've known you.”

 

Takara was stunned by a hard slap to the face. Immediately afterwards, Hideo was on his knees by the bed, crying and begging for forgiveness.

 

“I'm so sorry, angel! I know that you're only saying these terrible things because you’re under _that thing's_ control, but I just couldn't listen to you say that you hate me when I love you so much.”

 

Hideo suddenly stood and walked over to the bedside table to pull something out. His body was blocking Takara from seeing what he had gotten.

 

“You're still too far gone. I am sorry, but this is just to help until my words can reach you.”

 

Takara was getting nervous very quickly. His panic only escalated when his kidnapper turned around and revealed that he was holding a syringe. He began struggling harder than ever, ignoring the fact that his wrists and ankles had all started to bleed.

 

“Please don't move so much. You're hurting yourself.” Hideo pleaded, leaning down to gently kiss one of Takara's wrist, then sticking out his tongue to taste some of the blood dripping down the battered extremity.

 

Takara shivered with disgust, but it was obvious from Hideo's smirk that he thought it was a shiver of pleasure.

 

“Now, it's clear that you are still aware of our true love deep down, but right now, I can't trust you, so if you'll please be patient with me and hold still.” Hideo quickly prepared the needle, flicking it and then squirting out a bit of whatever drug it contained, ensuring that there were no air bubbles.

 

Takara squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that he could not escape and that struggling would only put his life further at risk. He felt the needle sink into the flesh of his arm and whimpered. Not long after, the needle was removed, and Hideo just sat back and stared at him for a few minutes, clearly waiting for the drugs to take effect. Takara felt his mind slowly going hazy. It was hard to focus.  Takara felt relief as his arms and legs were released and allowed to relax. He was also vaguely aware of some soothing cream and bandages being placed on them. He thought that whoever had helped him must be the nicest person in the world, despite a distant nagging in the back of his mind.

 

“There you are, sweetheart. All better. How would you like to wear some prettier clothes?” Hideo asked Takara, whose eyes were heavy and unfocused and whose body was limp. Without saying anything else, Hideo stripped Takara, taking his time to caress each delicate bit of skin he came into contact with in the process. He closed his eyes as he stripped off Takara's underwear. After all, Takara was still so innocent, and he would save looking there until he had permission. He then took the plain uniform and threw it into a garbage can with the used syringe.

 

He returned to Takara's side with a pile of delicate, white garments. He first slid on a pair of white lace panties, carefully averting his eyes, though he felt free to look once the sheer, lace panties were on. Next, he slid on a pair of dainty stockings, then a garter. He then spent the better part of half an hour struggling to get a frilly, poofy, white dress on Takara. It was short enough that half of his thighs were still showing, and had a sweetheart neckline that left Takara's collarbone exposed. Hideo finished off the ensemble with a pair of heels and a veil.

 

He observed his work. _The perfect bride_. He retrieved his camera, snapping many pictures of Takara in various positions, some very suggestive.

 

Throughout the whole ordeal, Takara had been only vaguely aware and uncomfortable, fighting with the fog that lay heavily under his brain to remember something that he was sure was very important.

 

* * *

 

In but a few hours, Ayako had managed to identify the car as a rental that had already been returned. Of course, to make things more complicated, the car had been paid for with cash and the name on record with the rental shop was non-existent in any records.

 

Akari and Kiyomine's search to identify the student had been more fruitful. They had not only figured out the name of the student, but also had gotten an address from the main office.

 

As Kiyomine sat in the passenger seat of Ayako's car on his way to the address with a fleet of police cars behind them, he couldn't help but smirk with how easy it had been to find out where Takara was.  As the house came into view, he grew quite somber. Who knew what that creep had already managed to do to _his_ Takara. Kiyomine planned on dealing with the teen in his own way before he turned him over to the police.  However, before Ayako would allow him to enter the house, she sent in several cops to check out the location to make sure it was safe. And so, Kiyomine was left waiting outside, heart pounding hard as he waited for news.

 

The officers that were sent in came out moments later, completely empty handed. One spoke up.

 

“It was a fake address. No one's lived there for years.”

 

Kiyomine swore and punched the side of one of the cop cars hard enough to dent the door and make his knuckles bleed.

 

* * *

 

Takara didn't know how long he spent in that room. He faded in and out of consciousness. Sometimes he would be fed, sometimes he would be taken to use the restroom, sometimes he would be bathed, and sometimes, when things seemed more clear than usual, he would be given his “medicine.” He slowly started to understand that when he did whatever the man he was with said, that he got treated nicely and he would get to wait longer to take his medicine the next time.

 

So he let himself be dressed up like a doll every day and night and be photographed, and sometimes he would complement the person on his choices or his face. The man liked that a lot. At night, Takara had dreams of someone else who was a lot more handsome and more fun than the person he was with now, but whenever Takara woke up, he couldn't remember who it was. Except once, that is. Once after he had a dream of this person, he had remembered his name. He made the mistake of trying to compliment his caregiver by saying that he was “almost as nice as Kiyomine.” After that, Takara was given his medicine much more frequently and he was left alone in the room for an entire day with no food, bathroom, or companionship

 

He was only forgiven when he broke down and started sobbing. He was delirious and frustrated that he couldn't understand what was going on around him. After that, he was properly taken care of again. Until one day when the person had said something about supplies. After that, he didn't return for several nights. Which gave Takara enough time to become mostly lucid.

 

He remembered everything up until he woke up here the first time and then everything became blurry. One thing he knew for sure was that he needed to get out. Luckily, he had been left uncuffed. He stumbled out of the bed, almost twisting his ankle trying to stand in the heels his feet had been placed in. He had to use the wall to support his still dizzy body as he made his way to the door. It was locked. Takara collapsed to the ground weakly. Of course he was trapped in here. He dropped his head dejected.

 

His eyes caught sight of a trash can near the door, and he noticed that his uniform was still in there. He shuddered at the sight of all of the needles in there with it, trying not to think of how many he could count. Surely his captor would have noticed that Takara had actually remembered to bring his cell phone the day he was kidnapped. Takara felt adrenaline flowing through him at the prospect that he might actually have a way out. He carefully reached around all the syringes and pulled out his pants. His hand was shaking as he reached into the front pocket where he would usually keep his phone. His fingers touched only fabric and his heart dropped. Just to be sure, he checked the other pockets.

 

With a rush of joy, he realized that his phone was still in the other front pocket. He yanked it out, fumbling with the buttons to turn it on. He panicked briefly when it sang a little turning-on song, but calmed down when he didn't hear anyone approaching. He was pleased to find that there was still plenty of battery power left and a good signal. He immediately opened up his short contact list, scrolling down until he hovered over Kiyomine's name. Heart still pounding with excitement and fear, he pressed the call button.

 

After one ring, Kiyomine answered in a rushed voice, “Takara! Is that you?”

 

Takara answered weakly in return. His voice had mostly been unused and he was starting to feel the after-effects of being drugged so consistently. “Kiyomine, will you come get me?”

 

“Where are you? I'm leaving to get Ayako right now!” Takara heard a bit of yelling in the background, something about leaving in the middle of class.

 

“I don't really know where I am, but there's a window. I can try to look out.” He tried to stand, but his legs trembled and he collapsed against the wall, dropping the phone. He managed to pick it back up, still using the wall for support. Kiyomine was asking what was wrong and what that sound was. “Sorry, I'm just a little dizzy right now. I'm almost to the window.”

 

As he reached the window, he looked out, and was surprised when he recognized his surroundings. “Hey, right across the street is that convenience store we usually go to to get snacks when we skip school. It looks like I'm on the second or third floor.”

 

“Good job, Takara. Ayako and I are on the way.”

 

Takara slid to the floor with a sigh, feeling drained, but pleased. “That's good...”

 

It was only then that he noticed that Satou Hideo had entered the room.


	5. Break Free

It had been two weeks since Takara had been taken. Kiyomine had been very violent at first but had dissolved into never speaking at all, which was more terrifying in a way because it just meant that Kiyomine was holding in his anger. He was sitting in the middle of class when his phone rang with the ring tone that was only set for calls from Takara.

 

“Takara! Is that you?” He asked quickly, hoping it wasn't the kidnapper.

 

It was a moment before a very weak voice answered him by saying, “Kiyomine, will you come pick me up?” It sounded like Takara was barely alive.

 

He demanded Takara's location, running out of the room, quickly shouting at the teacher (who was trying to tell him not to leave early) that he was an idiot for thinking that his class was more important than Takara.

 

Takara said that he was going to go to a window when suddenly, he heard a series of bumps, and grew very concerned. “Takara? Takara!?! What's going on? Talk to me! What was that noise?”

 

Finally, Takara picked up the phone and muttered something about being dizzy. As Kiyomine's brain flew through the plethora of reasons that Takara could be dizzy, Takara gasped and then told Kiyomine that he was in a room across from the convenience store. _He's close then_. As soon as he knew where Takara was, he sent out a text to Ayako and Okuno, knowing that he would pass it along to Reiichi.

 

“Good job, Takara. Ayako and I are on the way.”

 

“That's good...” Takara sounded like he was going to sleep.

 

“Takara, stay with me. We'll be there soon.”

 

“Oh my god.” Takara said in barely more than a whisper. “He's back.”

 

Kiyomine felt his blood go cold. “What? Takara, I swear I'll be there soon. Just try to stay alive until then.” He heard Takara cry out and then the line went dead.

 

* * *

 

Takara watched with horror as Hideo approached him slowly. He was barely aware of the phone in his hand as he whispered that his captor had returned.

 

Hideo reached Takara and grabbed him roughly around his still injured wrist, causing Takara to shout. He pried the phone out of Takara's hand, registered the name on the screen, and snapped the phone in half.

 

Hideo looked down at the quivering boy in front of him. “Why do you want to hurt me like this? I've been trying so hard to keep you safe. I love you so much, and yet you go running back to him after I'm gone for a couple of days to make sure they didn't figure out where we were.” He pulled Takara up into a standing position, and cradled him against his chest. “Well, if I can't have you, then no one can. We'll take the final journey together.”

 

Takara began fighting against him as hard as he could, but he was still weak both from the drugs and from lack of eating. Soon, he was restrained to the bed again. He watched Hideo make the unfortunately familiar motions of getting a syringe from the drawer in the bedside table. Takara's eyes widened with fear when he noticed that this one was much bigger than the last. Hideo gently placed it down on the table and reached into the drawer once more, this time pulling out a jet-black gun which he placed beside the syringe. Finally, he pulled out a knife. This last one, he kept in his hand.

 

“What is that for?” Takara asked quietly.

 

“So that people know that we belong to each other.” He said simply before holding Takara's arm down and pressing the tip of the knife gently into the pale, smooth skin of the underside of his forearm. He then carefully carved his own name into Takara's flesh, all the while with Takara screaming and trying to break free. After carving the final character, Hideo leaned back to observe his handiwork. Takara was sobbing quietly, looking down at his mangled arm with blank eyes.

 

“Now it's your turn.” Hideo placed the knife in the hand attached to Takara's uninjured arm, then placed his hand over Takara's, forcing the crying boy to carve his name into Hideo's arm. Despite the characters being sloppy, Hideo looked pleased. “You did a good job.” He told Takara, kissing the boy hard on the mouth as some kind of reward.

 

He only stopped when sirens could be heard in the distance, clearly destined for them. Hideo then picked up the large syringe and swiftly administered the entire thing to Takara, discarding the empty vile carelessly on the ground. He then lifted the gun, pointing it at his own head.

 

“We'll be together again soon, my love.”

 

Hideo placed his finger over the trigger, hearing cars pulling up outside.

 

“Wait.” Takara requested from the bed. Hideo looked at him expectantly and a little impatiently. Takara had to think of a way to stall the teen. He didn't want him to get away from his crimes so easily. “Am I going to die? I don't want to die alone.”

 

Hideo seemed to think about it. He didn't want to deny such a cute request. He then smiled at Takara, and shot himself in the thigh, knowing that he would bleed out quickly this way, but wouldn't die immediately.

 

“There. Now they won't be able to keep me from dying, but I won't die before you.”

 

Takara was beginning to feel woozy. He fell weakly against the bed, only vaguely noticing the sound of voices and pounding feet coming up the stairs.

 

He could see the door being kicked open, pieces of wood flying. In rushed many faces that he didn't recognize, and a few that he did. However, he really couldn't have cared less about about any of them except the one person he had been hoping to see.

 

“Kiyomine...” His voice was a lot weaker than he would have expected, though maybe he was underestimating the effects of blood loss and drugs.

 

The unrecognized police officers swarmed around Hideo who did not make it easy for them, but ultimately the several police officers easily overpowered the half-dead teenager. At the same time, Kiyomine, Ayako, and Reiichi all surrounded him. Ayako undid his bindings, carefully avoiding the rather gruesome wounds on his arm.

 

“Takara? Can you hear me?” Kiyomine asked him, snapping some fingers in front of his companion's face. Takara weakly mumbled an affirmative.

 

“There's something wrong.” Reiichi said. “This isn't just blood loss. There's not enough blood, plus his eyes are really unfocused. He's under the influence of something.”

 

All of them followed Takara's eyes to the bedside table. Ayako opened up the drawer, revealing the remainder of the syringes, which she quickly deposited into an evidence bag. While she took care of those, Takara's eyes moved to the larger syringe that was on the ground by the bed.

 

“We need to get him into one of the ambulances right now.” Kiyomine said lifting the boy into his arms. “Bring those.” He told his cousin and sister.

 

Kiyomine could feel Takara's erratic heartbeat and labored breathing. He ran as fast as he could down the stairs and outside, swiftly placing the dying boy on a stretcher in the ambulance, watching the EMTs get to work. Reiichi handed over the empty syringe and one of the full ones that Ayako had retrieved, informing them that it looked like Takara had been drugged. Kiyomine rode in the ambulance to the hospital, never releasing Takara's hand.


	6. Bittersweet Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. I've been sick, but I'm finally feeling a little better. So here is an angsty chapter...

Kiyomine thought that the ride to the hospital must be the worst moment in his life.  Takara had flat-lined at one point, and it had seemed like an eternity before the EMTs could resuscitate him.  Kiyomine held Takara’s small, limp hand in his own the whole time, barely breathing himself.  He was so stressed out that he had reached a point of total emotional numbness, unable to process the reality of the situation.

 

Once they’d arrived at the hospital and they took Takara away from him, slamming doors in Kiyomine’s face while they rushed him into emergency care, Kiyomine realized that _this_ was somehow even worse than the ambulance ride.  He stood there staring at the doors until he felt a hand on his arm pulling him away.

 

“Come on, let’s go wash your hands.”  Ayako’s gentle voice did little to sooth him, but made him notice for the first time that his hands were covered in blood.

 

_Takara’s blood…_ Nausea hit him like a freight train, and he yanked his arm away from his sister to rush into the nearby restroom and vomit.

 

Kiyomine felt disconnected from his body as he was helped to the sink to wash his hands and face.  He wasn’t sure exactly how much time passed, but he found himself sitting in a hard plastic seat, looking up at a doctor who had called out for the “family and friends of Fujishima Takara.”  On one side of him was his sister and Reichi, on the other side was his brother Masaya, who must have shown up at some point.  It was like his ears were stuffed with cotton, everything sounded distant and muffled, and he could only understand bits and pieces of what was being said.  _Touch and go… intensive care…_

He stood abruptly, knocking over the chair he was sitting in.  “Take me to him”

 

“Sir, I’m sorry, but he’s still in a delicate state and visiting hours are over for the day…”

 

Kiyomine growled and grabbed the doctor by the throat.  “I don’t think you understood me.  Take. Me. To. Him.”  With each word, he squeezed a little tighter.

 

“KIYOMINE!”  Ayako shouted at him, making him release him grip in shock, looking back and forth between his hands and his sister’s face.

 

“Doctor, I apologize for his behavior, but I think you’ll find that visiting hours don’t exactly apply in this case.”  Masaya led the doctor away as he provided details about their family’s status.  He returned moments later and said, “Fujishima-kun is being moved to a private room, and we can go see him in a few minutes.”

 

Rage quelled for the moment, Kiyomine paced aggressively until a different doctor approached them to lead them to Takara’s room.  The moment the door was in sight, Kiyomine sprinted the remaining distance and into the room, only to stop short in the doorway.

 

There lay Takara, pale and lifeless, looking so small in the large bed underneath a network of tubes and wires leading to beeping machinery.  For the first time since this entire nightmare had started, Kiyomine cried.  Sobs were ripped from him with such force that his whole body shook as he finally approached Takara.  He reached out a hand to brush away a piece of hair that had fallen over the smaller boy’s eyes, letting his hand drift down cheeks that were heartbreakingly gaunt.

 

Without another thought, Kiyomine carefully climbed into bed with his lover, rearranging tubes until he could finally settle with Takara nestled in his arms.  If anyone said anything to him or even came into the room, he didn’t notice.  His whole world had narrowed onto Takara, and no force on earth would be able to separate them again. 

 

* * *

 

 

After the initial shock had passed and he’d been able to see Takara again, Kiyomine was able to discern what the doctors and nurses told him whenever they came to check on Takara throughout the first night and following morning.  Kiyomine had been reluctant to release Takara at first, but had been persuaded to move to a chair by the bed and to only hold one hand, if only to allow Takara to receive proper medical care.

 

Blood loss was the easiest thing to treat, though his arm would be permanently scarred with that bastard’s name.

 

The more serious condition was drug overdose, though they’d been able to administer an antidote based on the drugs that had been found on the syringes pulled from the room Takara was kept in.

 

To complicate matters further, they were all under the impression that Takara had been drugged regularly and often, meaning that he would be suffering through intense withdrawal symptoms for at least a few days.

 

Kiyomine listened to all of this with his simmering anger igniting into a blinding fury, resulting in a hole in the wall and a broken hand.

 

* * *

 

 

The first thing that Takara was aware of was unbearable heat.  He moaned, trying to lift his hands to wipe sweat off of his burning brow, only to find that his arms were trapped.  His eyes shot open and he started thrashing and screaming.

 

Suddenly his arms were free, and he buried his face in his hands, sobbing.  Everything hurt, everything _burned_.

 

Another set of hands, blessedly cold hands, grabbed his own and pried them away easily.  Those same cool hands pressed to his face, and Takara let out a suddering sigh of relief as he opened his eyes again.  It took several blinks before he was able to discern that someone was staring down at him, but it was another minute before he could find the name to go with that familiar face.

 

“Kiyo… mine…”  Takara gasped out, finding his chest tight and unable to draw in air properly.

 

“That’s right, I’m here.  Everything is going to be fine.”

 

“M’ head hurssss…”  Takara slurred out, eyes falling closed again as he turned his head to press his forehead into Kiyomine’s palm.

 

“Shh, I know.  They’re bringing you some medicine that will help.”

 

Takara jerked away, eyes wide open in a panic.  He struggled to push himself up and back into the headboard, away from Kiyomine and away from the nurse that was approaching with a syringe.  “No, no!  Please, no more!”

 

The heart monitor was beeping like crazy as the boy’s blood pressure and pulse skyrocketed.  Takara slammed his hands over his ears, pain clearly written across his face.  He tried to struggle away from the seemingly endless number of hands that grabbed him and held him in place while the nurse stabbed the needle into the IV line that he just noticed was coming out of his arm.  The hands were gone as quickly as they came, and Takara rolled onto his side and vomited.

 

He was wracked with pain, and darkness washed over him again.


	7. Road to Recovery

The next few days were terrible for both Takara and Kiyomine.

 

While Takara’s fever had decreased substantially and he wasn’t in such agonizing pain anymore, he was still dealing with some fairly severe withdrawal.  He was constantly sweating and trembling, but worst of all was the anxiety and aggression.  Takara snapped at everyone about anything, and he had injured every single doctor and nurse that tried to treat him.

 

Kiyomine was the only person properly equipped to handle Takara.  The moodiness and shouting was nothing new, and he was strong enough to hold the smaller teen down when the doctors needed to administer drugs or treat the wound on his arm.  No matter how hard Takara fought him, Kiyomine held him down, knowing that it was for his own good in the long run.  That thought did very little to assuage the vicious guilt that ate away at him every time when Takara would finally just break down in tears begging him to let go, to save him.

 

“Please, I’ll be good, I promise.  No more medicine.”  He would beg weakly every time.  It had been easy enough to figure out that the kidnapper must have called the drugs “medicine.”

 

“Shhh,”  Kiyomine would whisper into Takara’s ear, petting his hair soothingly. “It’s an antidote to get rid of the bad medicine.”

 

After the first few days, Takara’s symptoms started to calm, and he was significantly more coherent and capable of understanding his surroundings.  He transitioned from constant anger to total apathy, turning inwards and refusing to interact with anyone.

 

Anyone besides Kiyomine that is.  Takara sought him out, needing to be in constant physical contact for reassurance.  One time, he had woken up when Kiyomine was in the bathroom, and had immediately started screaming and crying in panic.

 

When Kiyomine rushed out of the bathroom and back to Takara’s side, it had taken a full 15 minutes to calm him down.

 

“I th-thought…”  Takara was still gasping for breath after his panic attack.  “I thought it was another dream.”

 

Kiyomine’s chest was tight with emotions that he couldn’t name as he pulled his lover closer to him, hugging him tight.  “I’m here.  I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”

 

“Do you promise?”  Takara asked in a painfully small voice, like a frightened child.

 

“I promise.”  Kiyomine held him close as he fell back asleep.

 

* * *

 

 

After a week, Takara was doing significantly better physically.  After the doctor, the one brave enough to keep treating the surprisingly strong teen throughout his withdrawal, was sure that the remaining drugs were cleared from Takara’s system, a psychiatrist finally came to start therapy.

 

Kiyomine and Takara had been equally distraught when she’d told them that she wanted to talk to Takara alone.  However, she was unmoving, and only permitted Kiyomine to remain in view through the window on the door.  After an hour, he had been allowed back in the room, where he rushed back over to a surprisingly calm Takara, who was staring intently down at two orange bottles and a handful of papers.

 

“I think it would be a good idea for Fujishima-san to take anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications for a while.  Of course we’ll be continuing therapy, but in these circumstances it will be some time before he feels normal again.”  The psychiatrist explained for Kiyomine’s benefit.  “I know that any sort of medication or drug is going to seem bad at this point, so I’ve provided several research papers and information sheets for the particular medications that I’m prescribing.  In addition, he will be in full control of when and if he takes them.”

 

Takara read all of the documents thoroughly before he looked back up at Kiyomine and then his therapist.  With shaking hands, he opened the bottles, deposited two pills into his palm.  He stared down at them for another moment before he reached out for Kiyomine’s hand, holding it in a crushing grip as he finally swallowed the pills.

 

* * *

 

 

They’d kept Takara in the hospital for another week after that, during which time he took his medications bravely and willingly, and continued to have therapy sessions every day.

 

By the end of that week, he almost seemed back to normal, aside from the bandages covering his left forearm that Takara couldn’t stand to look at or talk about.  He would still fall silent at random times, with his eyes unfocused, completely unaware of his surroundings, and he would have panic attacks sometimes.  In addition, he continued to be significantly more reliant on Kiyomine, getting frantic anytime they were apart for more than a few minutes.

 

However, all things considered, he was handling things remarkably well.  He didn’t try to attack doctors when they came to treat his arm or give him more pills to swallow, he just held onto Kiyomine tightly enough to bruise and then quietly cried into his shoulder while Kiyomine rocked him to sleep afterwards.

 

Takara was cleared to be discharged the day that his dad finally showed up.  Kou had been in a remote location when Takara had been taken, and Ayako had only been able to get into contact with him a week ago to detail what had transpired.

 

Kou rushed into the room, visibly disheveled from travel and lack of sleep, and already crying by the time he entered the room.  He ran to Takara’s bedside, pushing Kiyomine away to get to his son.

 

“No!” Takara shouted in panic as Kiyomine’s hand was pulled from his own.

 

Everyone in the room stilled.

 

Takara blinked, realizing what he had done.  “Uh, I mean…  I’m glad to see you, Dad…”  Takara tried to cover up weakly, even as his eyes and hands sought out Kiyomine.

 

Kou’s face darkened as he took in his son’s dependence on that boy that he had disliked from day one.

 

Ayako broke the tension by clearing her throat.  “How about Kiyomine and I go to get some food for everyone?  We’ll be back in 10 minutes.”

 

She skillfully allowed the father and son to have some time to themselves, while simultaneously reassuring the two teenagers that they wouldn’t be separated for long.

 

Kiyomine waited until Takara nodded and released his hand before he begrudgingly followed his sister out of the room.

 

Kou finally sat down on the bed next to his son, pulling him into a crushing hug, sobbing into his hair.  “I was so worried.  I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

 

Takara felt himself crying as well, limp with emotional and physical exhaustion.

 

After they’d both calmed down a little bit, Kou apologized again.  “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to protect you.”

 

“It’s okay, Dad.” Takara sighed heavily into his dad’s chest.  “Kiyomine is here.”

 

Takara was already drifting to sleep without realizing that his words had caused his father to start crying again.

 

* * *

 

 

Kou was still holding his sleeping son when Ayako and Kiyomine returned with food.  “Do I need to wake him up to eat?”

 

Ayako shook her head.  “No, he ate earlier, and sleep is crucial for his recovery.”

 

Kou nodded, carefully separating himself from Takara to stand.  “I’m going to go finish the paperwork to take him home.  I’ll be taking him out of school for the rest of the semester and staying here instead of going back overseas.”

 

“No.”  Kiyomine said firmly, shoving the bags he was holding on the bedside table.  “Shorty’s coming back to the dorms with me.  He wants life to go back to normal, and being around friends is good for him right now.”

 

“Shut up, you brat.  You don’t know anything.  He should be with family.”

 

Kiyomine let out a humorless laugh. “Then why the fuck should he stay with you?  It’s not like you count after you ran away and didn’t actually raise him, shitty old man.”

 

“Kiyomine!” Ayako scolded at him. “You know better than that.”

 

“No, Ayako, I know exactly what I’m talking about.”  He snapped at his sister for the first time in his life.  He turned back to Kou before continuing in a calm voice.  “You don’t get to just show up and pretend to be a caring father when it’s convenient for you, leaving him alone to handle everything that you’re too immature to deal with.  I’m the one who watches him cry when you leave and every time he goes back to that empty house.  He has friends at school that are better than your shitty version of family.”

 

Kiyomine tried to step around Kou to go to Takara’s bedside, but Kou punched him full in the face, knocking him to the ground.

 

“DON’T TELL ME HOW TO RAISE MY SON!  I’VE HAD ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOU!”  Kou started shouting, even as Ayako and Kiyomine both tried to hush him, knowing how skittish Takara has been around violence since coming back.  “YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM-”

 

He was cut off by a bloodcurdling scream coming from Takara.  Kou immediately rushed to his son's side, speaking in a quiet voice and reaching to wipe away his son's tears.

 

* * *

 

Someone was shouting, Takara was suddenly aware as he was forcibly torn from sleep by terror.  He felt hands grasp his face, making him rear back in blind panic.

 

“NO!  DON’T TOUCH ME!”  Takara backed away until he fell off the bed in a tangle of sheets.  He started thrashing to try and free himself when a voice broke through the haze of confusion and fear.

 

“SHORTY!”  It was Kiyomine’s voice.

 

Takara breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Kiyomine’s face in front of him.  He flung his arms around his lover's neck, shuddering with lingering fear as his tears soaked the other’s shirt.  Takara was too out of it to notice Kiyomine glaring at Kou across the room.

 

“He’s coming back to the dorms with me.”  Kiyomine said firmly, before refocusing his attention on tending to Takara and getting the both of them into the bed.

 

Ayako led a weeping Kou out of the room, whispering reassurances to him as her brother did for the younger Fujishima.


	8. Back to Normal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to keep you all waiting for so long! I've had a lot of things going on in my personal life, but it's finally settled down enough for me to have time to write. Thank you all so so much for your support and lovely comments! It really keeps me motivated and makes me want to write more.

There was tension between Kiyomine and his dad, Takara realized as he sat waiting on his hospital bed next to Ayako, who would be driving them home.  _More tension that usual, that is_ , Takara thought to himself.

 

He wasn’t really sure what had happened the previous night.  He had a vague memory of waking up in a panic and then falling asleep not long afterwards as he came down from the adrenaline.  All he knew for sure was that they must have fought while he was asleep, and he could only imagine the variety of things that they might have disagreed on.  The two men had never seen eye-to-eye, which Takara always felt was funny since he thought that they were really alike – not that he’d ever vocalize that thought.

 

And so Takara sat there in normal clothes for the first time in close to a month, fidgeting with the drawstrings on his jacket and observing Kiyomine and his dad talking with the doctor.  Ayako gently pried his hands away and held them in hers.  He smiled at her faintly, not for the first time thinking of how motherly she was towards him.  Finally, the three men shifted their focus on Takara, who started a little bit at the sudden attention.

 

“Well,” started the doctor with a small smile, “You’re free to go home.  Take it easy for a while, and be sure to come back if anything at all happens.”  With that, the doctor left the room to get back to work.

  

Kiyomine and Kou both took a step towards Takara at the same time before stopping and glaring at each other.  Takara pulled his hands from Ayako’s as they both stood up, sensing an impending fight.

  

Kou spoke first, “Takara, let’s go back _home_.  I can talk to your school tomorrow about excusing you for the rest of the semester.”

  

Takara’s eye widened as he finally starting piecing together what his dad and his boyfriend had been fighting about.  His focus flickered to Kiyomine, who was clenching his fists and positively fuming.  He struggled to keep himself for laughing at how silly and _normal_ it all was.

  

“Dad, don’t be stupid.  I don’t want to get behind at school and have to repeat a year, not to mention that it will be good for me to have something to keep my mind occupied…"

  

Kiyomine smiled in triumph as Kou wilted.

  

“But I also don’t think I’m ready to go back to live in the dorms.  There’s too many nosy people…”  Takara turned to Kiyomine, who was looking at him bemusedly.  “Kiyomine, I’m going back home with my dad now.  Can you stop by the dorm to pick up our stuff before you come home, too?”

  

Takara unleashed his puppy dog eyes and most winning smile as he looked back and forth between the two men.  This was the compromise that he wanted, and he fully intended to get what he wanted and to enjoy being spoiled again.

 

Kiyomine smirked at him, appreciating his bratty nature and clever solution.  His dad, however, looked completely defeated.

  

“Takara, I think it might be best to live with just the two of us.  You’ll still see _that_ at school, but you should be with family right now surrounded by love.”

  

“But, Dad…  Kiyomine and I _are_ in love!”  After everything he’d been through, Takara was not going to waste time or energy denying things to placate his dad.

  

Kou immediately dropped all of the paperwork his was holding, and Takara only had a second to appreciate the fact that it was stapled before his dad turned on Kiyomine.

  

“YOU!” He growled, grabbing Kiyomine’s shirt in his fists.

  

Immediately, Takara and Ayako were between the two men, trying to separate them.

  

“Leave him alone!”  Takara shouted, spreading his arms as he stood in front of Kiyomine to act as a shield.  It was almost comedic how little of Kiyomine that he actually blocked.  “Kiyomine hasn’t done anything wrong!  I was the one who made the first move and confessed.  So if you have a problem with our relationship, then you should be mad at me.”

  

Takara couldn’t see the way that Kiyomine smiled fondly down at him, but he could see the way that Ayako tried and failed to stop a giggle from escaping, even as she held Kou’s shoulders to keep him from attacking her little brother.  He could also see the way his dad struggled to contain his emotions.

  

“Takara, you know I can’t be mad at you.  But why does it have to be _him_?”

  

Takara shrugged as he looked over his shoulder at his lover.  “Because being with him is as easy as breathing.  And he takes care of me, helps me, spoils me, challenges me…  I want to be with him for the rest of my life.”

  

Kou could only watch helplessly as his precious child stared lovingly at, in his eyes, the worst possible option for a significant other.  But he knew young love probably better than most, and he knew how stubborn his son was.

 

“You’re not sleeping in the same room.”  He pointed firmly at both boys before grabbing Ayako and leaving the room.

  

Kiyomine scoffed as he bent down to pick up the paperwork piled up on the floor.  “Stupid old man.  Of course we’re sleeping together.”

  

Takara finally burst out laughing, appreciating the harmless drama of it all.  “I hope you’re ready to help me study.  I have a lot of school work to catch up on before finals.”

  

The two teens walked out to the car holding hands, and nearly gave Kou a heart attack when Kiyomine draped his arms over Takara’s shoulder in the back seat of the car.

 

* * *

 

Takara was amazed at how easily things went back to normal.  He and Kiyomine slept together each night, despite his dad screaming about it every morning.  Takara would laugh as the two bickered all day long and fought to do things for him.  The school had given Takara some extra time off of school to recover and catch up, so Kiyomine would tutor him every night to help him catch up, though he wasn’t any more help than he usually was since he lost patience with Takara far too quickly.

 

There were a few pronounced differences, though.  The most pleasant change was that Ichi seemed to understand somehow that something had happened, and he no longer attacked Takara.  Instead, he was openly affectionate with the boy and treated him cautiously.  It made Takara cry the first day as he hugged the dog to his chest.

  

The other changes were… not so nice to say the least.  Takara still struggled to take his medication, and he still had emotional outbursts and nightmares.  But day by day, things seemed a little better.  He continued therapy and kept himself occupied.  The only thing that never got better was the wound on his arm, which stood as a permanent reminder from his time in captivity.

  

He refused to change the bandages or look at his arm, and wore long-sleeves all the time even though summer was rapidly approaching.  Kiyomine had been helping him bathe as he needed to keep the wound dry, and he would then carefully rewrap the arm even as his hands shook with anger.  Finally, the day came when the wound had healed completely and he no longer had bandages to hide that bastard’s name scarred hideously into his flesh.  Takara took a bath by himself for the first time since he’d left the hospital that night, not wanting to have to deal with Kiyomine’s emotions along with his own.

 

Takara was forced to actually admit to himself for the first time that he was permanently branded, with the large, ugly scar too prominent to miss.  It would catch the corners of his vision even as he tried to look elsewhere.  Ultimately, he found himself sitting in the bath staring blankly at his arm, unnameable emotions boiling tumultuously under the surface.  He _hated_ it, hated what it represented, what is forced him to remember, how it deformed him.  How could he pretend to be normal, to be unbroken, when he bore such a scar?

  

With a growl, Takara’s other hand lifted up, and, without any conscious thought, he dug his nails in as hard as he could and started tearing at the flesh of his arm over and over and over and over and over–

  

Suddenly there were hands on him, wrapping around his wrists and his chest, even as he thrashed and roared.

  

“Takara, STOP IT!”  A familiar voice called, but it felt so distant to Takara, who only vaguely realized that he was having a hard time breathing and felt very faint.

  

All he could see was red coating both hands and arms before his vision faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story still has a few more chapters to go, but it's getting ready to be wrapped up. Honestly, I wasn't sure if anyone would even read this story because KomaHoshi has never has much of a presence in the fanfic community and it's a relatively old fandom at this point. But you all have been so supportive and excited to see this story, so I'd love to keep writing stories and try to fill up the tags some.
> 
> With that, I was wondering if anyone had any requests or AUs or tropes that they would enjoy KomaHoshi stories for (i.e. coffee shop, fairy tale re-tellings, vampires, A/B/O dynamics, fake relationship, etc.). I promise that I'll work hard to try and make good stories!


End file.
